What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research

Abstract

What is qualitative research? If we look for a precise definition of qualitative research, and specifically for one that addresses its distinctive feature of being “qualitative,” the literature is meager. In this article we systematically search, identify and analyze a sample of 89 sources using or attempting to define the term “qualitative.” Then, drawing on ideas we find scattered across existing work, and based on Becker’s classic study of marijuana consumption, we formulate and illustrate a definition that tries to capture its core elements. We define qualitative research as an iterative process in which improved understanding to the scientific community is achieved by making new significant distinctions resulting from getting closer to the phenomenon studied. This formulation is developed as a tool to help improve research designs while stressing that a qualitative dimension is present in quantitative work as well. Additionally, it can facilitate teaching, communication between researchers, diminish the gap between qualitative and quantitative researchers, help to address critiques of qualitative methods, and be used as a standard of evaluation of qualitative research.

Physicians’ Understanding and Practices of Pharmacovigilance: Qualitative Experience from a Lower Middle-Income Country

“…We adopted a qualitative research approach, since a qualitative analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the interaction between the individuals and their experiences [19]. It focuses on the data that is non-numeric, allowing the researcher to get an in-depth insight into the respondent's viewpoint [20].…”

“It Requires Interest, Time, Patience and Struggle”: Novice Researchers’ Perspectives on and Experiences of the Qualitative Research Journey

“…Qualitative research, as a never-ending journey, concentrates on understanding the nature of social phenomena which are complex, historically situated, multi-vocal and subjective by following an iterative process of knowledge production (Gaudet & Robert, 2018). Similarly, Aspers and Corte (2019) define qualitative research as an iterative process that leads to improved understanding of the phenomenon under study by making new significant distinctions that result from the researcher's getting closer to it. Qualitative research is "an emergent, inductive, interpretive and naturalistic approach to the study of people, cases, phenomena, social situations and processes in their natural settings in order to reveal in descriptive terms the meanings that people attach to their experiences of the world" (Yılmaz, 2013, p.312).…”

Twitter Media Platform to Set-Up Political Branding: Analyzing @Kiyai_Marufamin in 2019 Presidential Election Campaign

“…This article tried to used qualitative research method approaches, in (Mohajan, 2018) noted that this method allows the researcher to explore and better understand a phenomenon, it is used to study one or more cases within a bounded setting or context, moreover, in (Rahman, 2016) using qualitative research can also testing language and other previous research studies, therefore, as to achieve deeper insights about designing, managing and interpreting and easy to understand. Besides, the qualitative as well as to emphasizes the interpretation the results of regret analysis (Aspers & Corte, 2019). Moreover, using qualitative research to understand the human interaction context in a particular situation based on the perspective of the research.…”